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Dan Jonas

A trumpeter, composer, and educator, Dr. Daniel Jonas is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where he directs the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos, and teaches all jazz curriculum. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Jonas received his D.M.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado in 2013. He also holds a Master's in Jazz Studies from DePaul University (2005) and a Bachelor's in Trumpet Performance from the University of New Mexico (2003). He performs regularly in the Salt Lake City area with the Night Star Jazz Orchestra and the gypsy jazz band Hot House West, in addition to leading his own groups. He has performed with and accompanied Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Jon Faddis, Nnenna Freelon, Andy Laverne, Nick Smart, Bobby Shew, Butch Miles, Phil Woods, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Denis DiBlasio, Steve Wiest, James Moody, Marvin Stamm, Randy Hamm, Walter White, Ernie Watts, Dave Pietro, Jeff Jarvis, John Fedchock, Chris Vadala, The New York Voices, Jim Pugh, Shelly Berg, Ed Soph, Maynard Ferguson, Aretha Franklin and many others.

Jonas released his debut original album entitled The Spirituality Suite in 2019. He also appears on the album Django in Orbit, recently released by Hot House West. Among Dr. Jonas's other recording credits are several albums released on the Jazzed Media label, including the albums Reunion and Sweet Return by Bob Lark and his Alumni Big Band, and That Being Said by the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble featuring Jim McNeely.

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Album Review

Ben Markley: Ari's Funhouse

Read "Ari's Funhouse" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Accade spesso nel jazz che dagli incontri estemporanei nascano le cose migliori. Il bandleader e arrangiatore Ben Markley e il batterista Ari Hoenig si sono conosciuti nel 2019 in un jazz festival del Texas. Da quell'incontro è nato questo progetto discografico, che ha visto Markley orchestrare le composizioni di Hoenig per la big band che guida a Denver. Il batterista è ospite dell'ensemble e dà il suo contributo con un vivace e articolato sostegno ritmico. L'album è stato registrato nel ...

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Album Review

Ben Markley Big Band: Ari's Funhouse

Read "Ari's Funhouse" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Ari's Funhouse, recorded in July 2021, sprang from a chance encounter at a Texas jazz festival in 2019 between New York-based drummer & composer Ari Hoenig and Denver-based pianist & arranger Ben Markley. After performing with Hoenig in a small group, Markley asked if he might score some of Hoenig's songs for a big band. Hoenig readily agreed, and after a lengthy Covid-induced pause, he and Markley's band finally met face-to-face in Denver to record the album. Two things are ...

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Album Review

Dan Jonas: The Spirituality Suite

Read "The Spirituality Suite" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Utah-based trumpeter Dan Jonas says The Spirituality Suite was written as a response to his own struggles with spirituality in the twenty-first century. The music is thus largely conceptual, or as Jonas explains it, “Much of the inspiration . . . lies in the musical interval of a perfect fourth. The interval can be either consonant or dissonant, where the context in which it appears is the determining factor. Additionally, on one side lies a major third, one of the ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Payin’ My Dues

Self Produced
2023

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Ari's Funhouse

OA2 Records
2022

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The Spirituality Suite

Self Produced
2019

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Birdless

From: Ari's Funhouse
By Dan Jonas

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